Concentrator



Jan- V 1 A. H. STEBBINS CONCENTRATOR 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed April l2 Patented Jan. l, 1924.

UNITED STATES ALBERT H. STEBBINS, 0F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

CONCENTRATOR.

Application led April 12, 1922.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT H. S'rneiNs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented an 1mprovement \in Conoentrators, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This`invention relates to a centrifugal con centrator or separator for separating materials in accordance with differences in spe cific gravity.

1n the concentration of ores, and in vau rious other fields where materials of differV ent specific gravity are intermixed it may be desirable to separate the materials in accordance with the differences in specific gravity irrespective of the differences in size of the particles being treated, and it is often desirable to separate materials in which the size of both the light and heavy particles vary throughout a relatively large range,

The present invention contemplates thc separation of materials by imparting mo mentum to the particles, preferably by cen trifugal force, and by directing a blast of air or other fluid against the traveling particles so that the light particles will be deiiected from their path of travel to a greater extent than the heavy particles. The velocity of the particles and the resulting momentum serves to accentuate the differences in specific gravity and thereby facilitates the sepa rating operation.

An important feature of the present invention therefore consists in simple and satisfactory means for effecting separation of materials by subjecting the materials to a defleeting blast of fluid as they travel across the path of the fluid.

A more specific feature of the invention resides in novel means for directing a blast of air or other Huid against the materials to be separated as they are thrown outwardly by the distributor.

Another feature of the invention resides in a deecting Wall adapted to arrest the heavier material to separate them from the lighter materials, and in means for adjusting this wall to vary the separating operation.

@ther features of the invention and novel combinations of parts will be hereinafter de Serial No. 551,934.

scribed in connection with the accompanying drawings which show a good practical form of the invention, the details of which may be modified within the true scope thereof as defined by the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

F ig. 1 a vertical sectional view through a concentrator constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through a modified construction of the concentrator.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of that portion of the casing of Fig. 3 in which the belt receiving opening is provided.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the concentrator casing and associated parts preferably are supported by a frame consisting of the uprights 10 secured to the spaced rings 11, 12 and 13, and an outer ring 14 may be secured to the upper ends of the uprights 10 while a similar ring 15 may be secured to their lower ends. Within this supporting frame is mounted an outer casing 16 which may have a cylindrical wall portion 17 and a downwardly extending, converging wall 18 provided at its lower end with the discharge tube 19. The casing 16 may be supported by the rings 12 and 13 of the frame, and at its upper end the casing is provided with a cover 20.

l/Vithin the outer casing 16 is mounted the distributor 21 which serves to throw the mav terials outwardly by centrifugal force. The distributor may be variously constructed and operated, and in the embodiment shown comprises a circular plate having a collar 22 secured to the lower end of an upright shaft 23. The shaft 23 may be rotatably mounted in a lower bearing 24 supported by the ring 13, and in an upper bearing 25 carried by the upper cover 26. A pulley 27 mounted upon the shaft between the bearings 24 and 25 serves to rotate the shaft and distributor, and the weight of the shaft and parts secured thereto may be supported by a thrust bearing 28 of any appropriate construction.

The distributor 21 preferably is dished somewhat as shown so that the materials will not escape therefrom until they have rotated suilioiently to receive a substantial centrifugal force. About the distributor 21 is provided a deflecting wall 29 that is supported in the -pa'th 'of the materials thrown outwardly by centrifugal force. In -the present instance this wall is formed by the upper portion of the inner casing 30. This casing preferably converges downwardly and is secured at its lower end to the discharge tube 31 extending through a collar 32 within the outer casin 18. It is desirable to relatively adjust the distributor y21 and delict-ting wall :29 to vary the separating operation, and in the present instance this is accomplished by extending the tube 31 through a collar 213 carried by the rin 11, and vertical adjustment of the tube g1 and inner casing 30 is readily effected by a nut 34 threaded upon the outer wall of the tube '31, the arrangement being such that the wall 29 is raised or lowered by rotating the nut 434.

As stated, separation of the materials is c'ected by directing a blast of air or other fluid against the traveling particles to de llect the lighter' particles from the wall 29 as they are thrown outwardly by the distributor. In the construction shown this is accomplished b forming a slot about the distributor t irough which the deflecting blast of air or other fluid is discharged. Preferably the driving shaft Z3 is hollow and the air or fluid passes downwardly through this shaft to a chamber formed between the lower' face of the distributor 21 and vthe wall 36 spaced therefrom. The wall 36 is provided with an upwardly inclined portion 37 encirclin the outer periphery of the distributor an spaced therefrom to form the annular discharge slot 35. A conduit 38 preferably is provided having :in cnlarged end that lits over the upper end of the shaft Z3 and serves to conduct air under pressure lto the upper end of this shaft,y the supply of air being controlled by the valve 39 Most of the air discharged from the slot 235 passes over the wall 29v and enters the outer casing 16. lt is not desirable to per-- mit the air in t e outercasing to discharge through the tube 19 with the fine materials, and a conduit 40 is therefore provided connected to any suitable exhaust means for removing air from this casing.

A swinging trap 41 preferably is mounted in the tube 19 and Serves to permit the materials to escape from the tube while it prevents air from entering the outer casing. Similar means (not shown) may be provided for preventing air from escaping through the tube 31. A ho per 42 may be provided which is supporte by the upper cover 26 above the distributor 21 and the hopper may have a discharge spout 43 extending through the cover '20 to deliver materials to the distributor.

From the foregoing description of Figs.

1 and 2 of the drawings, it will be seen that as the materials are thrown outwardly by the rotating distributor 21 they will be acted upon by the air blast discharged through the slot 3:3, and the strength of this blast may be such that it will lift the lighter materials over the wall 2S) so that they will reach the outer casing 18 while the heavier materials due to their momentum will not be deflected sufficiently to clear the wall 29 and will be directed by this wall into the inner casing 30.

In some applications of the invention it may be desirable to provide two or more concentric blasts of air for deflecting the materials from the wall that extends into their path of travel, and a machine embodying this construction is shown in Figs. 3 to 5 inclusive. In this ci'lnstruction of the invention an outer casing 44 is provided having a cover 45 and a bottom wall l@ and the casing is supported by uprights 4T connected by a brace 48. Within the casing 44 is provided an inner casing 49 and a distributor' secured to the upright shaft 51. rlhe construction of the shaft :31 differs somewhat from the driving shaft Q3 'of 1, as the shaft 51 extends downward below the distributor, and rotates in a bearing 52 below the distributor and a second bearing 53 above the distributor. The shaft 51 is provided with a pulley 54 secured to the shaft below the. distributor and is driven by a belt 55, and the inner casing 49 and outer casing 44 are constructed to provide an opening 56 through which the belt passes. A housing 57 is provided about the pulley and serves to exclude materials within the separator from the pulley, 'and this housing may support a bearing 58 for the shaft 51. Due to the arrangement shown of the driving belt 55, it is desirable to provide the inner casing 49 with a bottom 59 disposed above the run of the belt and sloping down- Ward to either side of 'the opening 56 as shown, so that the materials will` slide downward along the inclined surface 60 and discharge through the spout 6l. The outer casing 44 preferably is provided with a similar bottom 62, having inclined surfaces 63 eX- tending to the discharge spout 64.

The distributor may be similar ito the distributor 21 of Fig. 1 except that it is provided with two annular discharge sl'ots 65 and 66. The inner discharge slot 65 be constructed as in nFig. 1 by a wall 6T that forms a chamber below the distril'iuftor. and air is conducted to this chamber down wardly through the hollow shaft as in Fig. 1. Air is conveniently supplied to the *outer slot 66 by providing a wall G8 below the wall 67 to forni a `cheminer therebetween. and air is conducted to this chamber upwardly through the lower portieri of the hollow shaft `51. A conduit 69 conducts air to the lower end of the shaft 51 and the supply of air is controlled by the valve 70.

In order to direct the heavier materials into the inner casing 49, an annular wal 71 is provided extending upwardly from this casing into the path of the materials thrown outwardly by the distributor. This wall 71 preferably is adjustable and may be raised and lowered by the adjusting screws 72. A hopper 73 supported by the cover 45 serves to deliver materials to the distributor. The operation of this machine is similar to the machine of Figs. l and 2 exce t that as the materials are thrown outwar ly by the distributor they are subject to two blasts of air each of which ma;r be independently controlled.

The invention herein disclosed is well adapted to separate materials in accordance with the differences in specific gravity, for these differences are accentuated by imparting a substantial centrifugal force to the particles, and the air blast will serve to deflect the lighter particles sufliciently to cause them to pass into the outer casing while the heavier particles due to their momentum will not be deiiected sufficiently to clear the wall 40 and will enter the inner casing. The operation of the present device is such that variations in the size of the particles does not materially affect thc separatin operation.

hat is claimed is:

1. An air concentrator comprising, io combination, a rotary distributor, means for delivering materials to be separated to the distributor, means for rotating the distributor to throw the materials outwardly by centrifugal force, inner and onterrcontain ers surrounding the distributor to receive materials therefrom, a wall for directing materials into the inner container Iand disposed in the path of the materials traveling outwardly by centrifugal force from the distributor, and means for directing a jet of air against the materials traveling in said path so that it will deflect the lighter niaterials sufficiently to pass over said wall but will be prevented by the momentum of tln heavier particles from deflectng the latter over the wall.

2. An air concentrator comprising, in combination, a rotary distributor, means for delivering materials to be separated to the distributor, means for rotating the distributor to throw the materials outwardly bv centrifugal force, a container, a wall surrounding the distributor for directing ma` terials into said container and disposed in the ath of the materials traveling outwar ly by centrifugal force from the distributor, and means for directing a jet of air against the materials traveling in said path so that it will defiect the lighter materials sufliciently to pass over said wall but will be prevented by the momentum of the heavier particles from deflecting the latter over the wall.

3. An air concentrator comprising in combination, a rotary distributor, means for delivering materials to be separated to the distributor, means for rotating the distributor to throw the materials outwardly by centrifugal force, a wall supported. in the path of the materials to interrupt the niaterials thrown outwardly from the distributor by centrifugal force, means for directing an air blast against the materials in said path so that it will deflect the lighter niaterials sufliciently to pass over said wall but will be prevented by the momentum of the heavier particles from deecting thc latter over the wall, and means for relatively adjusting the distributor and wall to vary the separation of materials.

4. An air concentrator comprising in combination, an outer casing, a distributor therein, means for delivering materials to be separated to the distributor, means for operating the distributor to throw the materials outward by centrifugal force, an inner casing having a wall supported in the path of the materials to interrupt the materials thrown outwardly by the distributor and direct them into the inner casing. and

means for directing an air et against the materials traveling outwardly by centrifugal force so that it will deflect the lighter materials sufficiently to pass over said wall but will be prevented b the momentum of the heavier particles from defiecting the latter over the wall.

5. An air concentrator comprising in combination, a casing, a distributor rotatable therein, means for delivering materials to be separated to the distributor, means for rotating the distributor to throw the materials outwardly by centrifugal force, a wall supported in the path of the material thrown outwardly by centrifugal force to interrupt them, and means for directing an air blast against the materials in said path so that it will deflect the lighter materials sufficiently to pass over said wall but will be prevented by the momentum of the heavier particles from deiecting the latter over the wall, including an air conduit having an annular discharge slot concentric with the axis of the distributor.

6. An air concentrator comprising, in combination, a casing, a distributor rotatable therein, means for delivering materials to the distributor, means for rotating the distributor to throw the materials outwardly by centrifugal force, a deflecting wall supported in the path of the materials thrown outwardly by the distributor, and means for directing an air blast against the materials in said path so that it will deect the lighter materials sufliciently to pass over said wall but will be prevented by the momentum of the heavier particles from de fiecting the latter over the Wall, including an air suppl conduit concentric with the axis of the distributor.

7. An air concentrator `comprising, in combination, a casing, a distributor therein, means for delivering materials to the distributor, means for rotating the distributor to throw the materials outwardly by een; tiifugal force, a deiiecting wall snpportegi in the path of the n-iaterials thrown out wardl by the distributor, and means for directlng blasts ot air against the materials in said path to detlect the lighter materials from the Wall, including air supply conduits having concentric annular discharge slots'.

8. An air concentrator comprising in combination, a casing, a distributor therein mounted upon an upright shaft, means ior delivering materials to the distributor, means for rotating the distributor to throw the materials outwardly hy eentritujgal force, a delecting wall support-ed in Vthe path 0f the materials thrown outwardly by the distributor, means for directinga a hiaat of air against the materials in said path so that it will delect the lighter materials sufficiently to pass over said Wall hiltV will be prevented by the momentum of the heavier particles from deleeting the latter over the wall. including an air chamber rotatable with the distributor, and means for introducing air through said shaft te the air chamber.

9. An air concentrator comprising in combination a easinvr an annular distributor having a slot formed at its periphery means for delivering materials to be sepa` rated to the distributor, means for rotating the distributor to throw the materials wardly by centrifugal force, a defleeting Lavagne Wall Supported in the path ofi the materials thrown outwardly by the distributor, and means for forcing air through said slot so that it will deflect the lighter materialsw pass over said wall but will he prevented by the nnimentum of the heavier particles from deecting the latter over the wall.

19. An air eoncentrator eomprisi'ng in mbination, a easing, a rotary distributor therein, means for delivering material-s to the d ietributor, an upright shaft for rotating the distributor to throw the materials eet:- wardly by centrifugal force, a deeging Wall supported in the path of the mater-isis thrown outwardly by the distributoig'and means for directing air blasts against the materials in said path tedelect the lighter materials from the wall, inolrldlgaimillar diseharge slots arranged eoneentrieally, and, independent air conduits concentrie with said shaft and leading to the respective air discharge slots.

l1. An air ooncentrator comprising, in combination, a rotary distributor, means for delivering materials to be. separated to the distributor, means for rotating the distibutor to throw the materials outwardly by centifugal force, a wall supported in the path of the materials to interrupt the niateri-als thrown outwardly from the distribw tor, said wall terminating a short distane above the path of the materials, and means for directing an air blast against the materials traveling in said nath so that it will deflect the lighter materials sufficiently to pass over said Wall but will be pierentjed by the momentum 0f the heavier partieles from deecting the latter over the Wall.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

ALBERT H. nTEBBINS. 

